Iraqi Airways recently took delivery of Boeing 737 MAX 8, the first of its type for the airline. The aircraft departed from Seattle on February 24, 2023 and landed in Bagdad two days later after a layover in Reykjavik, Iceland. The aircraft is the first of 16 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft ordered a few years ago.
Iraq’s Transport Minister, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, said that the delivery schedules of the remaining aircraft on order had been arranged.
Iraqi Airways is currently in the process of renewing its fleet and has so far taken the delivery of four Airbus A220-300 and one Boeing 737 MAX. Iraqi Airways also expects to receive at least two additional A220s, 14 MAX and nine Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The airline is currently undergoing robust fleet renewal with an aim to lift the restrictions in Europe. The airline has been blocked since 2015, preventing it from operating flights to or from the countries under European Air Safety Agency (EASA).
Iraqi Airways expects to receive its first Boeing 737 Dreamliner this year and at least one of the 737 MAX 10s between 2024 and 2027.
Cirium data reports that Iraqi Airways operates about 426 weekly flights, with an average seat capacity of 120 seats per departure. The company’s most important route is the international service between Al Najaf and Kuwait City, with 48 weekly flights. Other key services for Iraqi Airways are Baghdad-Erbil with 17 weekly flights) and Bagdad-Basrah with 13 weekly flights.
Iraqi Airways currently has a fleet of 36 aircraft, of which 18 are active and 17 inactive. The airline has four Airbus A220-300s, three Airbus A320ceos, two A321ceos, and one A330-200. It also operates 19 planes from the Boeing, including one 737-700, one MAX 8, 15 737-800s, two Boeing 747-400s, and one 777-200(LR). It also has six CRJ900LRs.